How to Fix "Microsoft PowerPoint Cannot Be Opened" Error on Mac

1. Check macOS Compatibility

• Click  > About This Mac to verify your macOS version.
• Visit Microsoft's System Requirements to confirm PowerPoint supports your OS.

2. Update Microsoft PowerPoint

• Open Microsoft AutoUpdate (Applications > Microsoft AutoUpdate).
• Install all available Office updates.

3. Reinstall PowerPoint

• Drag PowerPoint from Applications to Trash.
• Download fresh installer from Microsoft 365 Portal.

4. Update macOS

• Go to  > System Preferences > Software Update.
• Install pending macOS updates.

5.Reset PowerPoint Preferences

• Open Terminal, paste: defaults delete com.microsoft.Powerpoint
• Relaunch PowerPoint.

6. Grant Full Disk Access

• Go to  > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy.
• Select Full Disk Access > Click + to add PowerPoint.

7. Run via Terminal

• In Terminal, type: /Applications/Microsoft\ PowerPoint.app/Contents/MacOS/Microsoft\ PowerPoint
• Check error output for specifics.

8. Create New User Account

• Go to  > System Preferences > Users & Groups.
• Test PowerPoint in a new admin account.

9. Use Web Version

• Access PowerPoint Online as a temporary workaround.

What Causes This Error?

• Incompatible macOS/PowerPoint versions
• Missing code signatures (Gatekeeper rejection)
• Corrupted application files
• Permission conflicts

Prevention Tips

• ✔ Enable automatic updates for Office and macOS
• ✔ Regularly clean caches using apps like CleanMyMac
• ✔ Maintain backup copies of critical presentations
• ✔ Verify compatibility before OS upgrades

• Contact Microsoft Support with the crash report
• Consider rolling back macOS if recently updated
• Use alternative apps (Keynote, Google Slides) for urgent needs